The China self-owned brand automobile market is developing rapidly, the 7-seat SUV market is very hot, Chinese consumers have never lacked the option in 80,000-150,000 yuan price segment, it’s hard to stand out in the fierce competition if there is not any specialty. Dongfeng Fengxing (The Chinese spelling “Fengxing” is translated in to “Forthing” in English now) is not far behind. Dongfeng Fengxing brand’s latest 7-seat SUV model, the Forthing T5L, is officially launched recently. Forthing T5L offers three power combinations (1.5T+CVT, 1.6TD+7DCT, 1.8T+6MT) for a total of four models. The price is 89,900 to 123,900 yuan (~US#13,001 – US$17,918) in China market. Forthing T5L is also the flagship SUV model in Fengxing (Forthing) brand. The highlight is the 1.6T engine, codenamed CE16, which is based on the development of BMW N13 engine. It inherits BMW’s Valvetronic variable valve lift, twin scroll turbocharging technology, with maximum power of 150 kW and peak torque of 280 Nm.
In fact, in terms of design, the Dongfeng Forthing T5L is only fine-tuned compared to Forthing T5, mainly in the D-pillar and taillights. However, when you actually see the real car, you can definitely distinguish the difference between the two cars at a glance. The main reason is the difference in body size, Dongfeng Forthing T5L body size is 4789mm / 1872mm / 1760mm, wheelbase is 2753mm, it is much larger than T5 (4550mm / 1825mm / 1725mm, wheelbase 2720mm).
The large front grille of T5L is connected with the current popular LED headlights as well as the LED daytime running lights.
The taillights also incorporate LED light sources, the central is embed its new English logo: “Forthing”.
In the interior part, Forthing T5L follows the T5 design, the flat-bottomed steering wheel with chrome strips, the 12-inch large floating central control LCD screen is the biggest highlight in the car. The new car will be equipped with an in-vehicle system developed by Dongfeng and Tencent to support music, navigation and voice control.
Forthing T5L uses 7-seat (2+3+2) layout, the second and third rows can be folded up in flat. The volume of the trunk in the 5-seat state reaches 1600L, which is sufficient for general daily use. After the second and third rows of seats are all folded up, the trunk capacity can be expanded to 2370L. In terms of configuration, it features push-button starter, hill descent control , electronic handbrake, panoramic sunroof and panoramic image.
In terms of safety configuration, Forthing T5L features active safety system includes ACC, LDW (lane departure warning), LKA( lane keeping assist), FCW (front collision warning), AEB (automatic emergency braking), IHC( intelligent high beam control system). Forthing T5L is also equipped with 4 airbags + 2 head air curtains, tire pressure monitoring and other configurations.
The power system part, like Forthing T5, Dongfeng Forthing T5L provides three powertrains, including 1.5T+CVT, 1.6TD+7DCT and 1.8T+MT, 1.5T engine has maximum power of 110kW (147hp)/5500rpm, peak Torque 200N·m/2000-4500rpm, matching CVT continuously variable transmission, the 1.8T engine has maximum power of 121kW (162hp) / 5000rpm and peak torque of 260N·m/1500-4000rpm, matching a 6-speed manual transmission.
The 1.6T engine codenamed CE16 is a star engine，it is from BMW, It was jointly developed by BMW Group and PSA Group, it has been widely used on various models of BMW and PSA. The 1.6T features direct injection in the cylinder, double scroll turbocharged, continuously variable valve lift, variable flow oil pump and many other technologies, the maximum power is 150kW (201hp) / 6000rpm, the peak torque is 280N·m / 1700-4000rpm, the transmission is matched with 7DCT dual clutch transmission.
